The idolatrous temptation
In his Angelus address on August 1, Pope Francis said:
“Why do I seek the Lord? We need to discern this, because among the temptations we encounter is one we might call idolatrous temptation. It drives us to seek God for our use, to solve problems, to thank him [for] what we cannot obtain on our own. But in this way faith remains superficial… we look to God to feed us and then forget about him when we are satiated. At the centre of this immature faith is not God, but our needs. It is right to present our needs to God, but the Lord, who acts far beyond our expectations, wishes to live with us first of all in a relationship of love. And true love is disinterested, it is free: one does not love to receive a favour in return. This is self-interest.”
Church ready for persecution
Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, Archbishop of Managua, Nicaragua, said the Church will continue speaking in support of democracy even if this entails that government will persecute it. He was speaking in the context of a political clampdown that included the arrest of 25 opposition leaders. The Church is under attack by President Daniel Ortega. “The Church is not led by men. We’re but instruments, the Church is animated and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. We continue to fulfil the mission that the Lord has entrusted us with,” said the cardinal. He added: “At no point do we want to assume a political role, our job is to evangelise, our job is the work of love from Christ, who came that we can have life, and life in abundance.”
Pope’s prayer
The Pope’s August prayer intention is “Let us pray for the Church, that she may receive from the Holy Spirit the grace and strength to reform herself in the light of the Gospel.” The prayer is disseminated by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, formerly known as the Apostleship of Prayer.
(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)